The preparation of polymeric materials is frequently carried out in a solvent from which the polymer product must be separated prior to molding, storage, or other such applications. This is the case in the manufacture of poly(arylene ether), which is typically prepared by the oxidative coupling of at least one monohydroxyaromatic compound in the presence of a catalyst system and solvent. Many other polymers are similarly prepared in solution and require a solvent removal step in order to isolate the polymer product, the polymers being illustrated by interfacially-prepared polycarbonates, polysulfones, interfacially-prepared polycarbonate esters, and the like. The solvent may be used to provide for thorough mixing of reactants and reducing the viscosity of the reaction mixture to provide for uniform heat transfer during the polymerization reaction itself. The solvent may further facilitate product purification by enabling the polymer product to be treated with water, aqueous acids and bases, and drying agents prior to solvent removal. Additionally, because a polymer solution is typically much less viscous than a molten polymer, the polymer solution is generally more easily filtered than the molten polymer.
Due to the pervasive use of solvent solutions in the manufacture or processing of polymeric material, there remains a need in the art to provide a convenient and cost-effective method and system to isolate a polymer from a polymer-solvent mixture.